The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-03-26
When he left the kitchen his little

When he LETT the klCcnen his IlIIle
dog Fiji came bounding to meet him.
A common yellow dog, with a queer
tail curled up toward his back. and a
head like a fox. Fiji was possessed OF
excellent sense and a loving heart, and
he greeted his master with the sharp
bark that expresses a dogs pleasure
the world over.
Sing Flu played tag with him a while.
but firing of that, he contrived a har-
ness for Fiji out of Irvine, and tried TO
make him play horse. 1t was some
time before Fiji could understand what
was wanted of him, but he was anxious
to please and at last succeeded, and
then Sing Flu thought he might draw
something, The gardeners watering
pot stood under a huge clump OF
olcanders, and drawing it out he filled
it with earth and fastened to it the
strings he had tied to Fits collar.
Then he urged the dog to go. But the
weight drew the collar back and choked
Fiji so his tongue hung out Of his
mouth, and not being able to speak, he
lay down on his back and held up his
paws to show how impossible it was
for him to do what was asked of him.
Perhaps twas the ginger, perhaps it
was the sense that he was a bad boy,
but then, ! sricve to say it, Sing Flu
struck Fiji. Too much astonishcd to
bark the dog sprang up.
60 on'' cried Sing Flu, raising his
hand, and Fiji. giving a sudden leap.
a wildly toward the nearest vcranda,
which offered a safe retreat. The
watering-pot bounced up and down,
aud, being of earthenware, was soon
broken. As for Fiji, he was more dead
than alive, when he hid himself under
the steps.
"Sing Fu!"-it was his mother who
spoke-"comc into the house, my son !;
it is beginning to rain"
The rain-drops were few and far be-
tween; but his mother stood in the
doorway watching him, and a Chinese
boy never disobeys his mother, SO Sing
Flu went slowly up the steps.
"What were YOU doing to Fii?" said
his mother. who had only seen the dogs
distracted plunge out of sight.
Nothing said Sing Flu, hanging
his head.
His mother wanted to believe him,
but old Sin was strangely i'll and out of
her head, so there was not time just
then for questions. II hope you are
the truth, my son." she said
81 would rather you would be
truthful than great or wise. Now you
must be quiet, and amuse yourself with
a book for must leave you"
Sing Flu did not like to read, except
on pleasant days, when he might, if he
chose, do something else. and he very
soon began feeling creepy in his back
and legs. "Oh, dcar!' he said, to him
self. Very soon his foot was asleep,
and then he said 'Oh, dear!'' so loud
they heard him in the next room, and
told HIM to keep still. Then he began
tiptocing around the room. going from
one cabinet to another, and pulling out
unlocked drawers. In one he found
scratch-back, which is a long wand
Of ivory, having a pretty handle on one
and on tho other II hand, or sim
ply q finger, slightly bent. Its use is
indicated by its name, and as Chinese
garments are all loose. it is easy to
thrust the s%cratch-back under them. A
large bronze incense vase of great
stood in one corner of tho
room. In the fluted curves of its
spreading rim were hung a row of
bells whose large square clappers
seemed too large for the purpose for
which they were intended, for two
thirds Of their bulk hung below the
mouths OF tho bells. Sing Flu lightly
n and it gave forth u sweet.
musical murmur. Then he struck one
more force, and off flew the ends
Of the fingers of the scratch back. 1t
was the best scratch-back and had
once belonged to relation of
an Emperor. Hastily returning it to
It's place, Sing Flu sat down in a
feeling very miserable indeed.
That evening. when the band began
to play, as it always did at mcal.time.
the big drum was struck only once.
has happcned,' softly
whispered the servants to each other. |
''To have the great drum silent is a
bad sign. 1t is very unlucky." II
Footsi himself looked grave, and Sing
Flu being very full of ginger, and feel.
scared and unhappy could not eat
a mouthful.
'l'm afraid you had too good II time,
said his father, when he had taken him !
On his knee as his custom was. "yyhat |
have you been doiug"'